On May 17, construction of the future USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124) began at BIW. The ship’s namesake, retired Col. Harvey “Barney” Barnum Jr., was on hand to officially mark start of fabrication on the ship.

In Pascagoula, construction of the future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125) officially began on May 7. DDG 125 will be the first Arleigh Burke-class destroyer built in the Flight III configuration with improved capability and capacity to perform anti-air warfare and ballistic-missile defense in support of the Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) mission.

These milestones, which signify the first 100 tons of steel being cut, were marked with ceremonies held in the shipyards’ respective fabrication shops.

“This is an exciting time in the DDG 51 program as we celebrate the start of construction on DDG 124 and DDG 125,” said Capt. Casey Moton, DDG 51 class program manager, Program Executive Office Ships. “Both of these ships are named after Medal of Honor recipients and we are proud to honor their legacy with such capable warfighters.”

These ships are Aegis baseline 9 (DDG 124) and baseline 10 (DDG 125) IAMD destroyers with significant capabilities against modern air warfare and ballistic missile threats. When operational, these multimission surface combatants will serve as integral players in global maritime security, engaging in air, undersea, surface, strike and ballistic missile defense as well as providing increased capabilities in anti-submarine warfare, command and control, and anti-surface warfare.